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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536553">The Slayer's Cake</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana'>Jestana</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>February Ficlet Challenge 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Bakery, Don't copy to another site, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:22:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>879</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536553</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a typical afternoon at The Slayer's Cake. Or is it?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Taryon Darrington/Lawrence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>February Ficlet Challenge 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620979</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>February Ficlet Challenge 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Slayer's Cake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for February Ficlet Challenge 2020: Quantum Leap Year, the prompts were 'Bakery/Coffee Shop AU' or 'Candelight'.</p><p>I couldn't resist the Bakery AU idea.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Welcome to the Slayer's Cake. How may I help you today?" Taryon Darrington greeted each of his customers in turn, retrieving the baked goods for them and ringing up their purchases.</p><p>After the last customers had left with their purchases, he headed back into the kitchen. "Hey, Tary. The latest batch of blondies are almost done cooling."</p><p>"Thank you, Vex," Tary replied, kissing her cheek. "Could you mind the front while I take care of them?"</p><p>Vex rolled her eyes with a fond smile. "Of course, dear."</p><p>"Percival is a very lucky man," Tary told her with a sincere smile.</p><p>Winking, Vex sashayed to the door. Before she left, she told him, "He's very aware of <i>that</i>, darling."</p><p>"And <i>I'm</i> lucky to have you working with me," Tary murmured to himself once he was alone.</p><p>He bustled around the kitchen, preparing the tray and plates for the new batch. Once he judged they were cool enough, he cut them into equal sizes and decorated each one with a stylized 'SC' in dark chocolate on the top. Everything ready, he carried the tray out front and carefully slid it into the display case, which Vex had already opened and cleared for him. As he slid the new tray into place, Vex called from the little tables by the front window, "Thank you, Tary!"</p><p>"Of course, Vex," he called back, transferring the few remaining blondies from the previous batch to the front of the new tray.</p><p>Percival de Rolo corrected playfully, "You mean Little Elf Girl."</p><p>"Now, Percy." Vex's tone may have been scolding, but Tary had no doubt that she was smiling fondly at her fiancé.</p><p>A third voice responded before Percy could, one that Tary hadn't heard in almost ten years. "Little Elf Girl? You don't <i>really</i> call Vex'ahlia that, do you?"</p><p>"No, it's become something of a joke," Percy explained. The next moment, he called, "Tary, are you all right?"</p><p>He rubbed the back of his head with one hand, having hit it on the display case when he heard the new voice. "I'm fine, Percy. Just rattled my brain a bit, that's all."</p><p>"How hard did you hit your head?" Vex asked, having walked around the display cases to check on him.</p><p>As she combed her fingers through his blond hair to check, Tary closed the display case and looked across the top of them to see that Percy had followed his fiancée over and now watched them with concern. Tary drew in a breath when he saw the man standing beside Percy: a man in his mid-30s with black shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. "Harder than I thought, perhaps."</p><p>"I'm not a ghost, Tary." Lawrence smiled nervously. "It's really me."</p><p>Tary rounded the display cases until they were standing face-to-face. "Larry? It's really you?"</p><p>His old tutor and first lover nodded, giving a tearful laugh. "Gods, it's been <i>years</i> since anyone called me that."</p><p>"Tary <i>would</i> call you Larry," Percy remarked, looking amused.</p><p>Unable to help himself, Tary pulled Lawrence into a hug, clinging to him. "Gods, I've missed you, Larry."</p><p>"I missed you, too, Tary," Lawrence whispered, hugging him back just as tightly.</p><p>After a moment, Vex said, "Tary, you're officially on your break now. Go, sit, and visit with Lawrence."</p><p>"<i>Thank</i> you, Vex," he told her with a teary smile.</p><p>She made shooing motions. "Go!"</p><p>"Do you mind if Percy joins us?" Lawrence asked as he led Tary over to the table he and Percy had clearly been sharing.</p><p>Tary smiled at his friend. "I don't mind."</p><p>"Now, I know how <i>you</i> feel when you sit with Vex and I, Tary," Percy remarked once they'd sat down.</p><p>Tary had moved one of the extra chairs so he could sit next to Lawrence and hold his hand. He gave his friend a wry look. "Do you blame me, Percy?"</p><p>"Not at all." Smiling, Percy made himself comfortable. "I imagine you're wondering how this came about."</p><p>Squeezing Tary's hand, Lawrence said, "I just moved to the area a few months ago. I met Percy because I needed a new accountant."</p><p>"As we talked and got to know each other, I began to suspect that Lawrence here was the same Lawrence you had told Vex and I about," Percy added.</p><p>Vex brought over a cup of tea and set it in front of Tary. "Percy asked me if it'd be a good idea to bring Lawrence here to see if he really <i>is</i> the same man and I said yes, and here we are."</p><p>"Thank you, both of you," Tary told them, looking between them with a grateful smile.</p><p>Vex moved to stand beside Percy's chair and rested her hand on his shoulder. He covered her hand with his. "This is the happiest we've seen you since we met you, Tary."</p><p>"That's thanks enough," Vex added, her smile fond in a way that only her closest friends and family got to see.</p><p>Lawrence squeezed Tary's hand. "Thank you from me, too. I've missed Tary so much."</p><p>"And I've missed <i>you</i>, Larry." A little hesitantly, Tary turned Lawrence towards him for a light, questioning kiss.</p><p>Lawrence tugged Tary back in for another, firmer kiss. "That's better."</p><p>"<i>Much</i> better." Tary smiled, delighted to have Lawrence back in his life.</p>
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